GOP’s opposition to Obamacare would not shut the government

On a recent opinion page, The Vindicator’s editors opined that U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and others’ efforts to shut down Obama-care by not funding it would be bad for the economic recovery (if one dares call it that) because of the government shutdown that would result.

Put aside, for a moment, why they think a temporary shutdown of government would be bad for the economy. Ask yourself why shouldn’t the Republicans use every legal avenue available to them to kill a law that they don’t like? The Democrats used every legal trick in the book to pass it.

They said that Rubio is using this opportunity to score political points after the GOP lost the 2012 election, overlooking the fact that the House Republicans didn’t lose the election; they retained their majority in the House.

If the editors are saying that the country wants Obamacare because they re-elected the president, it is just as valid to say that they don’t support it because they gave the House to the Republicans.

Everyone understands that there is not enough money to fund everything the government does; that’s why we run huge deficits every year. So why would anyone be surprised that, when cuts are necessary, the Republicans cut a law that they think was passed by deceit and is bad for the country.

The Vindicator’s editors should understand this. All spending originates in the House of Representatives, and though the House Republicans may not have enough votes to pass everything they would like, they do have enough votes to say “no” to something they don’t like.

If they authorize spending for every other function of government but Obamacare, that doesn’t constitute shutting down the government. If the Republicans send the Senate a bill completely funding government minus Obamacare, and the Democrats in the Senate don’t pass it, they will be the ones who have opted to shut down government simply because they didn’t get everything they want.

To sum it up, the only thing that can be truthfully said is that the Republicans will fund everything but Obamacare, and the Democrats won’t fund anything unless Obamacare is funded. So who is shutting down government?